The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians
Their Stories Are Better than the Bestsellers
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About this listen
Instant New York Times Bestseller!
This “celebration of the world of books” (Kirkus) is filled with “heartfelt testimonials” (New Yorker) that "feels like a love letter" (USA Today) to booksellers and librarians—as told to the greatest storyteller of our time, James Patterson.
To be a bookseller or librarian…
You have to play detective.
Be a treasure hunter. A matchmaker. An advocate. A visionary.
A person who creates “book joy” by pulling a book from a shelf, handing it to someone and saying, “You’ve got to read this. You’re going to love it.”
“When the pandemic started, Patterson launched a movement, #SaveIndieBookstores [and] pledged half a million dollars, and, with the support of the American Booksellers Association and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, the campaign ended up raising $1,239,595 from more than eighteen hundred donors...Somehow, the bookstore outlived the pandemic. Why? The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians, compiled by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, suggests a few reasons."–New Yorker
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Imagine a killer who thinks, "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?"—and then goes far beyond it. Now imagine four women—a police detective, an assistant DA, a reporter, and a medical examiner—who join forces as they sidestep their bosses to track down criminals. Known as the Women's Murder Club, they are pursuing a murderer whose twisted imagination has stunned an entire city. Their chief suspect is a socially prominent writer, but the men in charge won't touch him. On the trail of the most terrifying and unexpected killer ever, they discover a shocking surprise.
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background music is maddening
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Critic reviews
“The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians is very touching and beautifully crafted. It is like having the James Patterson Storytelling Fairy Dust sprinkled down upon you and your life. No wait, it IS having the James Patterson Storytelling Fairy Dust sprinkled down upon you and your life!” —Nina Barrett, Owner, Bookends & Beginnings
“I’m thrilled to be included in James Patterson’s The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians. James Patterson was kind enough to come to one of the early Mystery Writers Conferences at the bookstore. I was so in awe of him that I could barely get the courage to speak. In this book, he makes me look smarter than I am. I love it!” —Elaine Petrocelli, President and Co-owner, Book Passage
"A lighthearted compendium of first-person reflections from librarians and booksellers about their work and passion for literature... comfort food for bookworms." —Publishers Weekly
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By: Lori Gottlieb
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Bookstores have always been unlike any other kind of store, shaping readers and writers, and influencing our tastes, thoughts, and politics. They nurture local communities while creating new ones of their own. Bookshops are powerful spaces, but they are also endangered ones. In The Bookshop, we see those stakes: what has been, and what might be lost. Evan Friss’s history of the bookshop draws on oral histories, archival collections, municipal records, diaries, letters, and interviews with leading booksellers to offer a fascinating look at this institution beloved by so many.
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LOVED IT!
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Excellent story and incredible quality
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Books tell all kinds of stories—romances, tragedies, comedies—but if we learn to read the signs correctly, they can tell us the story of their own making too. The Book-Makers offers a new way into the story of Western culture’s most important object, the book, through dynamic portraits of eighteen individuals who helped to define it.
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mystery
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Book and Dagger
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The interesting material
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I never knew
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LOVED IT!
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Excellent story and incredible quality
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The Royal Librarian
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mystery
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Fair warning…
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1918: As the Great War rages, Jessie Carson takes a leave of absence from the New York Public Library to work for the American Committee for Devastated France. Founded by millionaire Anne Morgan, this group of international women help rebuild destroyed French communities just miles from the front. Upon arrival, Jessie strives to establish something that the French have never seen—children’s libraries. She turns ambulances into bookmobiles and trains the first French female librarians. Then she disappears.
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A genuinely beautiful book so worthy to read as well as listen to on Audible
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That Librarian
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One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a young person’s sense of self. So in 2022, when she heard of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community were to ban stories representing minority groups. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that still persists.
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Great message everyone should be aware
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The Change
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Big Little Lies meets The Witches of Eastwick—a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers—putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town.
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Great book until you realize what it’s about
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In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
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A testament to community
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Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books
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Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books—none of which she’s actually read. To replace the “pornographic” books she’s challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she’s sure the town’s readers need.
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I disliked the whole book, I couldn’t finish it.
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Cackle
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All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation. Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend.
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Enjoyed it so much, I bought it twice.
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I'll Be Gone in the Dark
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A masterful true crime account of the Golden State Killer - the elusive serial rapist turned murderer who terrorized California for over a decade - from Michelle McNamara, the gifted journalist who died tragically while investigating the case.
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A haunting masterpiece
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The Seventh Veil of Salome
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1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times. So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled, and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.
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Well-told story, fantastic narration
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Warm Up
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It's been 297 days since David died - and came back. He may have survived the avalanche, but the aftermath has been far worse. His wife moved out, taking his son with her, and a devastated David hasn't left his house since, terrified of the mysterious new power that followed him home from the ill-fated expedition. After months in seclusion, David's ready for a fresh start, and ventures out, determined to keep his power in check. But David's power isn't the one he needs to worry about.
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Too short but great short story
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The Murder Inn
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The doors of the Inn at Gloucester are always open to anyone running from trouble or hiding from life. Its owner, former Boston police detective Bill Robinson, welcomes them with no questions asked. Until two strangers arrive for a temporary stay and a longtime resident starts looking over his shoulders. There’s another newcomer in town who puts the Inn under surveillance. When the surveillance turns into a series of attacks. Robinson launches an all-out fight to defend his town, his chosen family, and his home.
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Nothing
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The Author's Guide to Murder
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There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has.
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Couldn’t finish
- By TdelaT on 11-28-24
By: Beatriz Williams, and others
What listeners say about The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Sue Reed
- 10-23-24
Loved hearing all of different experiences
Loved the passion in each story. Each bookseller or librarian was so inspiring. I learned a lot about those professions
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- Lili
- 09-19-24
A perfect lovely distraction of a book 📚📚📚
Lovely, light, heartwarming fare. This book is an excellent antidote to stress and upset. So many great stories about books and the people who love them.
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- Cate Smith
- 06-30-24
Into the Minds of Book Lovers
Fantastic look into the world and different points of view of book store owners, managers, librarians and lovers of the written word. Thoroughly enjoyed this listen!!
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- Kindra Lee
- 07-10-24
Hits home as a librarian
I absolutely loved this book. As a high school librarian I appreciated the stories and how they gave credit to the hard work that librarians do. I love that it mentions more than once that librarians need a masters degree - something I don’t think a lot of people understand. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for booksellers as they go into their craft for the same reasons that librarians do. I did find that it was a bit long - maybe ten stories too long. Towards the end I found myself zoning out - not because the stories were boring, but because it felt like I was hearing the same story over and over again. I ended up skipping several stories at the end - which, as a librarian, I think it is ok! I still appreciate the book as a while and hope it gets the attention it deserves.
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- alejandra
- 11-04-24
Very refreshing and passionate about reading
Loved listening to this book. It is very refreshing and incredible to hear about librarians and book sellers talk about their experiences in their fields. Made me want to go visit their stores and libraries and learn more about different genres and authors. I love reading and it very refreshing to hear stories about people who love reading as well. Overall a great one to listen to.
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- Candace Kluba
- 06-20-24
the touching insight
I truly loved listening to this story telling! It felt personable and relatable! The insight will forever change the way I shop books!
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- Diane
- 07-19-24
perfect for every book lover
Very personal perspective of the importance of books & those that make sure they are accessible to Everyone,
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- Library Lady
- 08-14-24
Inspiring
I love books like many of the stories told here. My soul is full by these accounts of booksellers and librarians
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